Festivals and Events in Mahabaleshwar

Gudhi Padava, Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, the Strawberry Festival, Diwali are some of the festivals in Mahabaleshwar that are held in the city, with pomp and gaiety.

The festival of Gudhi Padava is celebrated on the very first day of the Hindu month Chaitra to commemorate the beginning of the Hindu solar year. Gudhi Padava is held in March-April to celebrate the Maharashtrian New Year. This festival is celebrated by flying kites. You can see the entire sky filled with colourful kites.

Ganesh Chaturthi, the ten day festival is celebrated in the month of August - September to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh. This is the main festival of the state. Devotees bring idols of Lord Ganesh to their homes and make special sweets called modak, to appease the God. Devotional songs and dancing are performed while immersing the idol of Lord Ganesha.

Another prominent festival in Mahabaleshwar is Makar Sankranti. Considered as one of the most auspicious festivals for the Hindus, Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival celebrated in January with great fervour and gaiety. This festival is celebrated in different part of the country by different names such as Pedda Panduga, Lohri, Pongal and Bhogali Bihu to name a few.

The Strawberry Festival is a two-day festival celebrated in the month of March and celebrates the harvest of fresh strawberries and its delicacies. Stalls are set up in the farms near Mahabaleshwar and freshly prepared Strawberry Dishes are on the offer. Fruit lovers visit Mahabaleshwar at this time to enjoy the festival.

The festival of colours, Holi is celebrated in March to welcome the season of spring. People put colours on each other to celebrate the festival.

The festival of light, Diwali is celebrated in the month of November. Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil. Children and adults burst crackers, perform puja and savour traditional sweets.